Microsoft Defenders: False Warnings for Millions of Users

Microsoft is acknowledging an issue that's causing some users to receive false warnings on their computers. The notifications, which claim 'Microsoft Defender Antivirus is turned off', are appearing even when the antivirus software is functioning correctly and all settings show it as active.

The company says these notifications can appear at Windows startup and intermittently after, persisting even if notification settings are turned off.

This issue affects any version of Windows or Windows Server with Microsoft Defender Antivirus running with the latest updates, making for a lengthy list of impacted platforms. Affected users include those on Windows 11 versions 26H1 and 25H2, as well as Windows 10 versions 22H2 and 21H2.

Microsoft is working to release a resolution in a future Microsoft Defender Antivirus update, but no timeline has been provided for when this fix will be available.